Forgotten Hotties: Pooja Batra

 

In the 1990s, Pooja Batra epitomised the bubbly tomboy on Bollywood screen. She has also done some fabulous work in movies such as 'Virasat' and 'Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaye', and has been paired opposite almost all the biggies of her day: Anil Kapoor, Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar... Pooja Batra was born on October 27, 1973. Her mother, Neelam Batra, was a participant of Miss India in 1971, whereas, her father, Col. Ravi Batra, was an Indo-Pak war veteran, who was wounded during the 1971 war. Pooja always enjoyed sports in school and was a good athlete. "I'm a national-level athlete, and my training has helped me a lot. It taught me how to focus and it disciplined me mentally and physically," says Pooja. She pursued modelling as a hobby and a part-time job, but was never too serious about it. Pooja almost joined the Air Force as a pilot, before fate intervened and she was crowned Miss India in 1993. She was also one of the first brand ambassadors for Head and Shoulders in India. Her most well known ad is the Liril Soap commercial. She has also been the brand ambassador for Parag Sarees. Pooja has walked the ramp for over 250 fashion shows, all over the world. Pooja debuted in 'Virasat' in 1997, for which she won the Sansui Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her other projects include, 'Haseena Maan Jayegi', 'Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya', 'Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaye', 'Bhai', 'Farz', 'Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi', 'Ittefaq' and 'Kashmakash'. She has also done a few films in the south with the likes of Mohanlal and Mamootty, and has played major parts in 'Megham', 'Chandralekha', 'Sisindri', 'Kandukondain Kandukondai' and 'Aasai'. She did pro bono work in the film 'My Little Devil' ('Bas Yari Rakho') subtitled in Hindi, English and French, to raise funds for the poor children in India. She was last seen in the role of Noorjehan in Akbar Khan's 'Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story' which did not do very well at the B.O. Though Pooja was linked up with several actors, it is known that she had dated Akshay Kumar for some time. "I'm linked with every man in town; they even say I was having an affair with Amitabh Bachchan," she said. Pooja is now married to the U.S. based Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Sonu Ahluwalia, and they both live in Los Angeles.

 

Siren of the Week: Jiah Khan

 

Not a tinge of green in her eyes, no snow white complexion, nor a sixth finger to bring her luck. Yet Jiah adds to the GQ (Glamour Quotient, for the uninitiated) in her movies and puts the mercury tubes to fire! In her first movie, 'Nishabd', she was all mischief; 'Housefull' brought the Jiah brand of oomph to the screen. The smart medical student act in 'Ghajini' was one for the critics. The Siren is on and loud. Jiah Khan was born on February 20, 1988. She is the daughter of Indian-American, Ali Rizvi Khan and Rabiya Amin, a yesteryear actress. Jiah was raised in London, where she completed her A-levels in film studies and literature. Jiah Khan was due to make her debut at the age of 16, with Mahesh Bhatt's 'Tumsa Nahin Dekha', but backed off after she realised that the role was too mature for her. She later made her debut in 2006 in Ram Gopal Varma's 'Nishabd' opposite Amitabh Bachchan. The film was loosely based on Vladimir Nabokov's book 'Lolita'. "Three things that I have learnt from Amitabh Bachchan himself are how to be patient, how to smell good and how to give disapproving looks," says Jiah. Jiah wrote, composed and sang the song "Take Lite" in 'Nishabd'. She was then seen in A R Murgadoss's 'Ghajini' opposite Aamir Khan. She also did an item number, "Lattoo", in 'Ghajini'. She added one more hit to her kitty with Sajid Khan's 'Housefull'. Rumour has it that she shot for a significant portion of 'Chance Pe Dance', but later backed out, and was replaced by Genelia D' Souza. Jiah has been trained in dance forms like Reggae, Lambada, Jazz, Samba, Kathak, Belly dancing and Salsa. Jiah on her sex appeal: "I guess I was just born sexy. But it sure is hard work, pretending to be sexy." Jiah was the brand ambassador of Wrangler Jeans. "I guess somehow the 'Nishabd' image has stuck by me. The fact though is entirely different. If you come to my house, you won't find me roaming around in hot pants. That's not the way it works actually. But then people have a different impression altogether and it is actually quite a task for me to make them understand that my reel life and real life are two completely different things. I am actually quite an introvert and not as 'bindaas' as I am perceived to be," says Jiah.